Heavy-Hitting Storm Capsizes; Damages Sailboats

Last Wednesday, July 31, a thunder and lightning storms rolled through Winthrop in the afternoon and took some young sailors by surprise.

Coach Johnny Cataldo was at the Cottage Park Yacht Club with a group of young sailors age 7-13. They had been having a regatta in their N10 sailboats in the heat and decided it was getting too hot to stay out so they headed inside.

Cataldo said soon after going inside a dark cloud came over the high winds and rain. Then another burst of wind came, clocked at 73 mph at Logan Airport. All the N10 sailboats in the water flipped over, as did a couple on the dock. Cataldo said a couple of the larger sailboats also sustained some damage.

No one was hurt or injured.

During the recent severe weather event, Winthrop experienced a significant number of downed trees, branches, and other debris throughout the town. DPW crews worked throughout the evening, Thursday, and Friday to clear debris.

The town is also offering a few tips for future storms.

•  Do not approach or touch any downed wires; always assume that any wire is live. Contact National Grid at 1-800-465-1212 to immediately to report the condition.

• The Winthrop transfer station will remain open until further notice for residents to drop-off any tree or yard debris.